[0:00] Welcome to our service tonight. We'll begin our worship of God by singing to his praise and glory in Psalm 67. Lord bless and pity us, shine on us with thy face, that the earth thy way and nations all may know thy saving grace.
[0:19] Down to the end of the psalm, the earth her fruit shall yield, our God shall bless in send. God shall us bless, men shallim fear, and to earth's utmost end.
[0:32] These verses to God's praise. May I am the nations of the Lord save in grace.
[1:05] Let people praise thee, Lord. Let people all die praise.
[1:19] O let the nations be glad, in songs their voices raise.
[1:34] O let the nations be glad, in songs their voices raise.
[2:04] O let the nations be glad, in songs their voices raise. The earth thy fruit shall yield, our God shall bless his hand.
[2:19] God shall bless, men shallim fear, and to earth's utmost end.
[2:35] Amen. Let's draw near to God in prayer. Let's pray. Lord, as we draw near to you, with the words of that psalm still echoing in our ears, Lord, there's never been a day when we need you to bless us and to pity us and to shine on us with thy face.
[3:07] Lord, as we pray, O Father in heaven, what a privilege that we have of being able to draw near to you.
[3:19] What a privilege we have of the Sabbath day, a day where we can rest and worship you in spirit and in truth, where so many of you are deprived of that in many parts of our world, where we see so much of man's inhumanity to man, in many situations.
[3:52] O Lord, we pray for that day when you would come in power into our island and into our country and into the world.
[4:09] O remember us, Lord, in our poverty and in our need. O Lord, Lord, in our need. O Lord, because as the psalmist said so often that he was poor and needy.
[4:22] Well, Lord, the case hasn't changed tonight. We're still poor and we're in need. And our greatest need of all is more of your presence with us.
[4:36] as we draw near to you we would plead that you would draw near to us and fulfil the promises of your word that you are the God who even inhabits the praises of his people.
[4:53] We thank you Lord for what a privilege that we have of being able to come together like this at the close of the day.
[5:06] To record our thanks to you for Lord we are much to be thankful for in our homes and in our families.
[5:18] Lord you have blessed us abundantly in so many ways here in this corner of your vineyard and sometimes Lord if we would stop and take our time and count our blessings then it would surprise us of all that you have done for us.
[5:45] We thank you for those Lord that you give us to love and to cherish and Lord by their presence our lives are enriched in our homes and in our families for friends for friends and for neighbours for fellowship here in the church we bless you for these things of being able to draw near to you one with another and Lord to plead with you to come in power and Lord we would pray tonight for especially those who have no interest who have more interest in going to the beach or going for a spin somewhere to some other place and they never give your house a thought from morning to evening Lord we would pray that you would awaken them that you would touch them and that you would quicken them
[6:51] Lord we cannot do it it must be a touch from yourself O Lord we would pray that you would do it because we have them in our homes and in our families Lord who are indifferent to the gospel and to the beauty and the wonder and the loveliness of the Lord Jesus Christ the one who came into the world not to condemn the world but came to seek and to save those who were lost those who were on a broad road leading to destruction those who went out of his way to meet those Lord who were marginalized by society when we think of the woman at the well and he drew up beside her and he spoke to her the way that no other man spoke to her so much so that it changed her attitude and changed her whole life and Lord when she had finished the conversation with him she was so full that she forgot the buckets she went to draw water with and she went and told all that she had learned from you
[8:32] Lord that we would be as bright witnesses for you as she was in her own day and generation Lord that you would remember those who are struggling through life because we all have problems we all have difficulties we all have trials and struggles in this life and Lord we would pray that you would meet us Lord at the very point of our need and Lord that you would help us remember us Lord in your love and in your mercy remember those tonight Lord who are drifted from you perhaps like Peter who are walking at a distance from you Lord that you would draw them close to you again remember those tonight who are worried about life in general who are perhaps going through tests and have various concerns in their life over their health we would ask that you would draw near to them Lord and that you would reassure them that you are in control of everything and that you are a God who cares and who loves and Lord that we would see something in the man of Calvary even for the first time that he cares and that he loves us in such a way that he laid down his life for us on that cross so long ago and yet Lord as your people we bless you that he has taken the sting out of death and the victory out of the grave and Lord for those who are concerned over life and death issues we pray that you would reassure them that there is hope to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ he is the one who has told us that he has gone to prepare a place for us because he said that in my father's house are many mansions and if it were not so
[11:04] I would have told you but I go and prepare a place for you so that where I am there you may be also and the aim that Jesus had for his people was that they would be with him where he is as well because he conquered the grave too and he has risen as a prince and a saviour at your right hand and he makes intercession for his people and Lord if we are here tonight and we are on our own and struggling and think nobody is even thinking of us even to pray for us that there is one in the throne room of heaven who remembers us constantly there is not a day or an hour or a minute goes by but Jesus thinks about us and he cares for us so much so that he gave himself for us remember them Lord in your love and in your mercy and Lord remember those this night who are mourning mourning and we think particularly of the
[12:26] Campbell family down in point who lost their mother at a very young age and Lord words that we say are never enough to comfort those Lord who are mourning such a loss but we pray Lord that in your love and in your mercy that you would draw near to them and Lord that you would restore to them in a way that only you can and that they would feel something of the loving arms of Jesus upholding them and supporting them especially the little girl who was going to school and the boy and the husband Lord remember them in your great love and mercy and do above and beyond what any of us could do and Lord help us do uphold them at the throne of grace and Lord remember those who aren't as fortunate as we are
[13:50] Lord we're living in a world that is full of worries and full of problems when we look at the situations in Ukraine and Sudan and the Gaza where we see so much of man's and humanity to man Lord these are only three places but there's other places with war going on that we don't hear anything of on the media or anywhere else but you can see it Lord and you tell us to pray Lord for situations like that and we pray Lord that you would intervene some or other into those situations and bring about resolution Lord it's so much of man's and humanity to man and the pride and the foolishness of people that cause so much of these problems to arise in our world and Lord if it grieved you in the days of Noah that you made man how much more it must be grieving you tonight when you see all that's going on in our world remember us
[15:12] Lord and remember those who are persecuted especially in places like China and North Korea Iraq Iran and Syria and Saudi Arabia and Egypt even in Israel Lord and Lord in Afghanistan and Pakistan and India where your people so many of them have been jailed for talking about Jesus and for reading a Bible or doing anything that is concerned with the gospel all be with them Lord uphold them and strengthen them and keep them safe and be very near Lord to those who have been jailed for the gospel and for their families
[16:13] Lord it's been experienced in our own country in days gone by and Lord we have the records of people like John Bunyan others Lord to tell us about these things help us never take anything for granted and help us Lord to worship you and Lord as we think of the disciples up on the mountain where they saw Moses and Elijah Lord that we would only see one the one who is the king of kings and the lord of lords the lord jesus christ the only savior of the world the only name given amongst men whereby we must be saved and that's in his name oh remember us in your love bless us together and help us and encourage us as we sing your praise as we read your word lord that it would be a blessing to us so be with us lord and encourage us for jesus sake amen our next praise is psalm 40 psalm 40 verses 1 to 5 i waited for the lord my god and patiently and patiently did bear at length to me did incline my voice and cry to hear down to the end of verse 5 oh lord my god full meliard the wonders thou hast done thy gracious thoughts do us word far above all thoughts are gone do god's please i waited for the lord my god things uneast people inley thy utmost and integrity
[18:56] I your host, the best invitation. All right.
[19:30] All right. Thank you.
[20:06] Thank you.
[20:36] Respect me not the burden or such as turn aside to lies.
[20:54] O Lord, my God, O many are the one that you have done.
[21:11] My gracious Lord, do us will try. Let the help of God say all.
[21:29] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. If you turn in your Bibles to the Gospel according to St. Mark, to chapter 1, Mark chapter 1, and we'll take up the reading at verse 9.
[21:45] Amen. Amen. Amen. It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
[22:05] and immediately coming up from the water he saw the heavens parting and the spirit descending on him like a dove then a voice came from heaven you are my beloved son in whom I am well pleased immediately the spirit drove him into the wilderness and he was there forty days tempted by Satan and was with the wild beasts and the angels ministered to him now after John was put into prison Jesus came to Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom saying the time is fulfilled the kingdom of God is at hand repent and believe in the gospel and as he walked by the sea of Galilee he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea for they were fishermen then Jesus said to them follow me and I will make you become fishers of men then they immediately left their nets and followed him when he had gone a little further from there he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother also were in the boats mended their nets and immediately he called them and he left their father
[23:35] Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and went after him then they went into Capernaum and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught for they were astonished at his teaching for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes there was a man in the synagogue with an unclean spirit and he cried out saying let us alone what have we to do with you Jesus of Nazareth did you come to destroy us I know who you are the Holy One of God but Jesus rebuked him saying be quiet and come out of him and when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice he came out of him then they were all amazed so that the question among themselves saying what is this what new doctrine is this for with authority he commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him and immediately his fame spread about through all the region round Galilee now as soon as they came out of the synagogue they entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John but Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever and they told him about her at once so he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up immediately the fever left her and she served him at even when the sun had set they brought to him all who were sick and those who were demon possessed and the whole city was gathered at the door there he healed many of them who were sick with various diseases cast out many demons he did not allow the demons to speak because they knew him now in the morning having risen along while before daybreak he went and departed to a solitary place and there he prayed and Simon and those who were with him searched for him when they found him they said to him everyone is looking for you but he said to them let us go into the next towns that I may preach there also for this purpose
[25:56] I have come and he was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee and casting out demons now a leper came to him imploring him kneeling down to him and saying unto him Lord if you are willing you can make me clean then Jesus moved with compassion stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him I am willing be cleansed and as soon as he had spoken immediately the repoussie left him and he was cleansed and he strictly warned him and sent him away at once and said to him see that you say nothing to anyone but go your way show yourself to the priests and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded as a testimony to them God will bless his word to us our next item of praise is in Psalm 88
[26:59] Psalm 88 Lord God my Saviour day and night before thee cried have I before thee let my prayer come give ear unto my cry for troubles great to fill my soul my life draws nigh the grave I'm counted with those that go down to the pit and have no strength have down to the end of verse 8 thou hast put far from me my friends thou hast put far from me the maids them to abhor me and I am so shut that I find no evasion for me these verses to God's praise Lord God my Saviour day and night before thee Christ I before thee let my prayer come
[28:00] I and will 1000 hear why will my Son may Drorn the He Thank you.
[28:56] Thank you.
[29:26] Thank you. Thank you.
[29:58] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[30:10] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[30:24] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. From verse 40. We're living in a day that seems to be full of problems for everyone, young and old alike.
[30:46] And this man here before us had a problem from verse 40 onwards. This man was a leper. He was an outcast from society.
[31:00] He was unclean with an incurable disease of which, of the skin of which he was dying.
[31:14] There was no remedy. He wasn't getting better. He was getting worse. It's an awful disease. He was losing his fingers. He was losing his toes.
[31:26] He couldn't feel heat if he bumped anything into hot. He wouldn't notice it. It burnt him. And it took this toll on him.
[31:38] Leaving him disfigured and deformed. As well as many other major problems. Back in the day, it was an awful disease to have.
[31:52] It was absolutely terrible. And there was no cure for it. There was nothing. And it's curable in our day.
[32:06] But it's still a major problem in the poorer countries like Africa and Asia. where they can't afford the medication.
[32:17] And they don't have the facilities. They can't go and bring up HSNS and get an appointment with a doctor or anything else.
[32:28] They had nowhere to go with it. And they just had to live with it. And they were marginalised by it. And this story of the leper is recorded in the three Gospels.
[32:43] In Matthew, in Mark and in Luke. And it's relevant to us today. It's very relevant.
[32:57] We find it in the Old Testament in Kings, round about 2 Kings chapter 5. That Naaman was a leper. And he was the captain of the host of the king of Syria.
[33:09] And it says there that he was a great man. He was a great man. And he had won great victories. And he enjoyed all the trappings and comforts that his success had brought to him.
[33:26] And he was a family man. And he was getting on really well. But he had this stigma attached to him.
[33:37] And it didn't matter what he did or what he achieved. It counted for nothing. He was a leper. He was a leper.
[33:49] It didn't make any difference. No matter what he attained, it didn't mean nothing.
[34:03] He was still a leper. And Leviticus 14, 45 and 46. The leper says, And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent and his head bare.
[34:17] And he shall put a covering on his upper lip. It reminds me a wee bit of Covid when we had to wear the masks. And he shall cry. He shall go out and he shall cry out.
[34:29] Unclean, unclean. So that he would announce his presence. So that people would know that he was a leper. And they would stay well clear of him. It was humiliating for the poor man or the woman all their days.
[34:44] He is defiled. He is unclean. And another thing that went with it was he probably stunk. He probably smelt. And he had to live alone.
[34:58] Without the camp, it tells us. What a situation. What a life that this man had to live. We don't know who he was.
[35:10] It doesn't give us his name. But in all probability, he was at the other end of the social scale. In comparison to Neyman. I don't think this man enjoyed much of the way of success of this world or anything else.
[35:31] But they were both lepers. That was the common denominator. And because he was a physical leper, it was assumed that he was a moral leper as well.
[35:42] That it was because of some sin that he had committed. That God was punishing him. That left him separated from those he loved. This disease, it couldn't be hid.
[35:56] And because he was a social outcast. He was also a religious outcast. He was excluded from the temple. He was excluded from worship.
[36:09] From family worship. For gathering around the Bible or anything at the evening. And that's something like of what we experienced during COVID. We weren't allowed to gather in the church.
[36:22] We weren't allowed to get too close to one another. But what can we learn from this man? What can we learn from this man? You know, he was a poor soul.
[36:37] And as we say in our own corner of the world. He was a poor true again. And that's the way he was. But this leper.
[36:49] He risked everything. In Luke's Gospel it tells us that Jesus says that he was in a certain city. And this leper wasn't meant to be in the city.
[37:04] He was in a certain city. And it says there a man full of leprosy. And he saw Jesus.
[37:16] This man was covered in leprosy. He was a mess. And he came to Jesus. And he said to him, Lord.
[37:29] If you are willing. Lord, if you are willing. He came to the right person. He came to Jesus. He came to Jesus.
[37:40] Who was the only one. Who could help him. Encouraged perhaps what he had heard or seen. He sought out Jesus. We don't know how this man really came to know Jesus.
[37:56] We don't understand it. But there was something different. There was something different about this man, Jesus. Totally different.
[38:08] From other men. We read in another place that never man spoke. Like this man. No one acted. No one treated people the way Jesus did.
[38:24] There was something different. Look at the start of the chapter we were reading. He drew people to himself.
[38:36] Simon. And Andrew the two brothers. And James and John two other brothers. Jesus came to them and said follow me.
[38:49] Follow me. And they left everything. James and John left Zebedee their father. Left the nets. Left the fishing. Jesus knew them better than they knew themselves.
[39:05] And he was going to do something with these men. That even they couldn't imagine. They couldn't. There was something different about him.
[39:17] And they left everything to follow him. And like John the Baptist. He drew people to himself. He drew.
[39:28] He was like a magnet. The crowds came to hear John the Baptist. Crowds were coming to Jesus. They were gathering to hear him speak.
[39:42] They would see healings. For many reasons. They were coming to Jesus. He was amazing. He was amazing.
[39:55] That's the Savior we worship. That's the God who died for us. And this man is to be commended. Because he made most of the opportunities afforded to him.
[40:10] As Jesus passed by. He took advantage of the opportunity. In spite of what would happen. That man would likely have been stoned to death.
[40:22] If he had been discovered. But he took the chance. And he cried out to Jesus. He approached him and he cried out to him. But what about us?
[40:35] Are we taking advantage of the opportunities afforded to us here? Are we making the best of the opportunities that we have?
[40:48] You know, as the gospel is preached. Are we really supportive of the minister? As he seeks to make inroads and outreach.
[41:03] Are we encouraging him? My goodness, if there was a day in this island. Where we needed God to visit us and bless us. It's today. Because there is so little interest in the gospel.
[41:18] There is so little interest in Jesus. And men's souls are perishing. Because they haven't heard of the good news. Of the gospel.
[41:30] And if you spoke to them about Jesus of Nazareth passing by. They wouldn't have a clue what you're saying or talking about. Here was the one.
[41:45] That he drew near to. Of whom the prophets wrote. The spirit of the Lord is upon me. Because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.
[41:56] In Jesus' day the poor were healing the gospel. He sent me to heal the broken hearted. And I tell you how many broken hearts need healing in our day.
[42:09] He preached deliverance to the captives. And there are many in captivity because of their faith in our day and generation. The recovering of sight to the blind.
[42:23] This man. He restored the sight of those who were blind. He healed them. He encouraged them. And he set at liberty those that are bruised.
[42:36] And to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. He came to the right person. The right person. This man. Full of leprosy. Came to the right person.
[42:49] He came to Jesus. He came to Jesus. And he came to him with reverence. It's clearer in Luke's gospel.
[43:01] Lord. He says. Lord. He says. If you are willing. And he came with faith.
[43:13] For without faith. As Hebrews tells us. It's impossible to please him. He that cometh to God. Must believe that he is the rewarder. Of them that diligently seek him. He had faith.
[43:26] In the power of Jesus. I don't know how he came to know him. Or find out about him. But he had faith. And he cast himself on the mercy of Jesus. He cast himself on the mercy.
[43:40] And he says. Lord. If thou wilt. If thou wilt. You can make me whole. Do we limit God?
[43:52] Well God's alright for. Passing maybe an hour or two on Sunday. Maybe we have time to. Go to a prayer meeting. Midweek or whatever.
[44:03] Or whatever. We limit God. In these things. But it shouldn't be like that. It should be a joy. The psalmist said it so clearly.
[44:16] I joyed when to the house of God. That we should come in here. With joy and gladness in our hearts. It's a real joy to worship him. And to praise him. What we're doing here.
[44:29] Can make the difference. To us. Life or death. Death. This world is only a training ground.
[44:43] For the world to come. And what we do with Christ on earth. Reveals to us. Where we will spend eternity.
[44:55] And this man didn't limit Jesus. He didn't put him into a box. Or anything else. He said. You.
[45:10] Can make me clean. He didn't look to his circumstances. And he didn't look for blessing. Like so much.
[45:21] We hear so much of the prosperity gospel. If you do this. And you do that. And you do the next thing. Everything will be well. But no. He has to be made clean. He has to be made clean.
[45:34] He needed to be cleansed. How many just sit around and do nothing. When Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.
[45:46] And reaching out to them in the gospel. How many sit and do nothing. How many sit and do nothing. As the prophet Jeremiah says. Is it nothing.
[45:59] To ye who pass by. Is there any sorrow likened to my sorrow. You know we have a fatal disease. As well.
[46:13] And it's called sin. And it separates us from God. And it bars us from heaven. And us.
[46:25] Unless we come to Christ in repentance. We are barred from heaven. And that's the reality. It's that fatal. That it leads to eternal death.
[46:39] We need to be clean. It was a personal plea. And it was straight to the point. This man. He didn't beat about the bush.
[46:50] Or mealy mouth. Or anything like that. He came straight to the point. I need to be clean. And you know. Desperate circumstances.
[47:01] Call for desperate actions. And you know. When Peter was out on the boat. And he started to walk to Jesus.
[47:13] And he took his eyes off Jesus. And he began to sink. He didn't have a great long. Half hour prayer. Or 20 minute prayer. He just reached out his hand. And cried.
[47:24] Lord save me. And Jesus took him into the boat. I know many of the men here. Worry about prayers and all that. But. Hey. The length is nothing.
[47:36] Means nothing. It's this. That counts everything. You know. The man who came to. The story of the man who came to Jesus. And he couldn't get in.
[47:48] Because of the crowd. I think it says in the scripture. He couldn't get in. Because of the press. Well his four friends. To come up to the roof. They opened up the roof.
[47:59] Imagine if somebody opened up the roof. Of this church. To let somebody in. They opened up the roof. And they were down to Jesus. And Jesus says. Your faith.
[48:11] Has made you whole. This man came in to Jesus. With his head on his bed. And he left that day. With his bed on his head. That's the difference that Jesus made.
[48:24] To that man. And to the blind. Who restored his sight. And we see Jesus' response. To this man's plea. He didn't tell the man.
[48:37] To keep away. Or clear off. It reminds us of. The story of the good Samaritan. The priest and the Levite. They passed by on the other side.
[48:52] Jesus was moved with compassion. Jesus had a heart for the people. And the heart of Jesus went out to this man. And he was moved in his inner being.
[49:07] My friends. He felt for them. And he feels for you tonight. In the same way. Jesus might not be standing here with us physically.
[49:21] But he's with us in spirit. And he felt for them. And you know when Jesus saw the multitude. Were he there that he was moved with compassion.
[49:35] Because they fainted as sheep. Without a shepherd. Lives with no direction. And no purpose. He was filled with compassion.
[49:50] When he saw the multitude. And he healed their sick. And he restored many of them. He had compassion when he fed.
[50:03] Saw the four thousand. And he fed them. And he fed them. He had compassion on the blind man. And he restored his sight.
[50:17] He restored his sight. And he had compassion on Jerusalem. As he wept over it. How often he says I would have gathered you.
[50:30] Like a hen gathers her cheeks under her wings. And you wound. And you know it's not for the lack of compassion. On God's side that we are not saved.
[50:44] For us John 3.16 tells us so clearly. God so loved the world. That he gave his only begotten son.
[50:56] That whosoever believeth on him should not perish. But have everlasting life. God in life. And you know we live in a world. That's lacking compassion.
[51:11] When you look at that news. If you do. I more or less given up watching a lot of it. I switch it off. When I listen to STV on the Scottish news.
[51:23] The rest is frightening. You can see it on the news. You can see it in your iPads. You can see what's going on in our country. And the way our country is turning around. But it's amazing.
[51:38] How often the Gospels reveal this compassionate saviour. Who is always willing. To identify with the sufferer.
[51:50] He's always willing to identify with the sufferer. The hymn writer says in another place with every pan. That rends the heart.
[52:02] The man of sorrows has a part. He sympathises with our grief. And to the sufferer. He'll send relief. My friends.
[52:13] This is a sympathetic. Loving and a caring saviour that we have. And he doesn't leave us to ourselves. Or to our own ways. He reached out.
[52:28] And he touched this man. He reached out. And he touched him. Imagine it. Close your eyes.
[52:40] And open your minds. To this. He touched him. The outcast from society. An outcast from home. An outcast from family.
[52:53] Perhaps even for years. He did not know. He did not know what it felt like for someone to reach out to him. He didn't know what it felt like for someone to touch him.
[53:05] He was shown no kindness. He wasn't shown any compassion. Not a contact. Not a cross for years. Not a cross for years. No reassurance. No conversation. Unless it was somebody throwing stones at him.
[53:16] Telling him to stay away. He was neglected. He was rejected. And he was rejected. Words can't come close. To describing how he felt. Can't come close. You know. When we think going back into the COVID. If you had somebody in hospital.
[53:27] You weren't allowed to visit. Them. You weren't even allowed to go into their homes. Or anything else. Why? If you had somebody in hospital.
[53:38] You weren't allowed to visit them. You weren't even allowed to go into their homes. Or anything else. can't come close. You know, when we think going back into the COVID, if you had somebody in hospital, you weren't allowed to visit them.
[53:54] You weren't even allowed to go into their homes or anything else. The whole situation was ludicrous. We can't describe how we felt.
[54:09] Oh, he touched me. Oh, he touched me. And the joy that flooded my soul, something happened. And I know he touched me.
[54:23] He touched me. And he made me whole. He reached out. He spoke to him.
[54:34] He touched him. And he made him whole. You know, you heard the story of Peter and John outside the temple.
[54:46] And he met the man. And he said to him, Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.
[54:57] And there was that man leaping and dancing and praising God. Because he had been restored. He had been healed. No money, no nothing.
[55:09] He had been healed. Just imagine how this poor soul of a leper. He must have been leaping and dancing and praising God that he was healed as well.
[55:20] And you know, when Jesus comes into your heart, he lifts you up. He gives you joy unspeakable. Words cannot describe the joy when Jesus comes into your heart.
[55:35] The Lord, who couldn't even look upon sin, reached out in tenderness and compassion to cleanse this man.
[55:49] And he's more than willing than we are to ask. Our problem here in the islands is that we're so reluctant to put ourselves forward.
[56:02] And yet Jesus is more than willing to do above and beyond anything that we can ask or think.
[56:13] The gospel is full of wonderful invitations. And he's calling you to himself. As the hymn writer said, Bow down beneath a load of sin. By Satan sorely pressed.
[56:25] By wars without and fears within. I come to thee for rest. I come to thee for rest. And our disease is far worse than leprosy.
[56:42] And it's not me that's saying that. It's the Bible. We are born in sin and shaped in iniquity. And we need the touch of Jesus.
[56:54] We need his touch upon our lives. We need our touch upon our homes and on our families. And the invitations are there.
[57:06] He says, come, let us reason together. In the book of Isaiah, I think it's chapter 1. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.
[57:16] Red as crimson, they shall be as wool. All of us are marked by sin.
[57:27] But there is a remedy. And there is a cure. And if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us.
[57:39] He has borne our griefs. He has carried our sorrows. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities.
[57:51] The chastisement of our peace was upon him. And by his stripes, we are healed. The Lord Jesus Christ came into the world not as an accident, but as the foreordained will of the Father to go to Calvary's cross and pay the price for our sins.
[58:22] And my friends, if I could count the number of times I've sinned, in the last hour, I would have all night confessing them.
[58:37] But over the years of our lives, how they mount up. But he is faithful and just, he says, to forgive our sins.
[58:50] And that blood that was shed, the blood of Christ, is able to cleanse us from every sin. And those who come to him, he will in no wise cast out.
[59:07] This man came on his knees in reverence, in humility, in faith, and he was healed immediately.
[59:24] Friends, it was instant. He didn't have to hang about or wait for an answer, as some people make you hang about and wait for things. This was instant.
[59:37] Ransomed, healed, he says, restored, forgiven. Who, like me, his praise should sing. There was no lack of compassion in Jesus.
[59:51] There was no lack of love. But there was a lack of compassion in the world where Jesus was born into.
[60:03] The story about the Pharisee, and all the Pharisee could talk about was himself. And the other poor who went up to the temple at that time, he didn't even get a look in.
[60:23] He couldn't even lift his eyes up to heaven. The Pharisee was very judgmental. And you know, that's the way we are so often ourselves.
[60:38] before I was working where I am now, I used to go about, I used to come down here with gas and things like that. It's going back 30 years now.
[60:52] But I used to go into houses. Some of those houses that were really nice. But some of these other houses, they would make you weep.
[61:08] And I was asked to go into a house down on Sand Street to an old lady. And her name was Bessie.
[61:24] Her name was Bessie. And in that house lived with her chickens and her cats and everything else. And it took me a while before I got the courage up to go in that door.
[61:41] But Jesus had been there before me. That old lady was one of the godliest old ladies that I ever met. She was really a godly old woman.
[61:55] And she knew more of the scriptures than I'll ever know. and she spoke to me about Jesus. That woman was well into her 80s and she could still recite the 119th Psalm from beginning to end.
[62:13] And this day she had a fall. and she fell out in what the barn I would call it the barn part of the house where the animals lived.
[62:30] But she started praying and asked God to help her. And there was a man staying close by to her.
[62:40] His name was Mudo Green. And I don't know if he had any connection down this way or not. But he was tuned in as well. And he felt God prompting him to go down to see Bessie that night.
[62:57] And he went down and he lifted her off the floor and helped her up. She prayed.
[63:09] She called out to God. And God uses his people. God helped her. And I learned a lot from that woman.
[63:23] She was telling me one day you know she says that I had no food in the house and we were praying that something would come.
[63:35] And late at night there was a knock on the door. And she says it put me in awe of God. You shall understand this. She says an enemy of God's people came and left her fish more than enough for one or two days.
[63:58] And it put her in awe of God. And this leper would have been in awe of Jesus when he had healed them.
[64:12] But what about us? What about us tonight? Are we in awe of God? Are we in need of healing?
[64:26] All we have to do is reach out and touch him. Reach out to him. May God bless this word to us.
[64:39] We'll conclude our worship by singing to his praise. And I'm sure this leper would have known this psalm as well. Psalm 116 because he had much to praise God for.
[64:51] I love the Lord because my voice and prayers he did hear. I while I live will call on him who bowed to me a seer. Down to the end of verse for my distressed soul from death.
[65:06] Delivered was by thee thou didst my mourning eyes from tears, my feet from falling free. To God's praise. I love the Lord because my voice and prayer who seeded tears.
[65:34] I might live with all on him who bowed to me his ear.
[65:51] Of death that falls and so time will rise and sameぇ?
[66:14] I grieve and prolific I will find upon the name of God the Lord, and may I call and sing.
[66:39] I will find upon the name of God the Lord, and may I call and sing.
[66:56] God bless you, O Lamb of Christ, Jesus, ye gracious, Savior God.
[67:13] God saves them in thy walk, God love, he did me death before.
[67:31] O thou, my soul, do thou return, unto thy quiet rest.
[67:46] God art, we know the Lord to thee, his power he hath expressed.
[68:03] For my distance, O from death, he levied was by thee.
[68:21] Thou didst my glory, thy frontiers, thy feet from falling free.
[68:37] Now unto him who is able to keep you from falling, to present you faultless before the presence of his glory, with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever.
[68:56] Amen. May God bless his word to us.